Thai Iced Tea

A glass of cha yen reads first as strong, malty black tea and warm sweet spice — a whisper of star anise and vanilla — folded into the rich, almost butterscotch sweetness of condensed and evaporated milk; the taste is frankly sweet and full-bodied with a firm tannic backbone from the over-steeped tea that keeps the creamy, dessert-like body from cloying, all served ice-cold and creamsicle-smooth.